Numbers
by xxIAmTheSkyxx
Summary: In a world where the children are nothing more than numbers, it's up to a group of friends to take down the monarch and restore peace to the once forgotten land of hearts. "Our names are replaced by numbers, but I don't want to be just a number. I want to be more, need to be more. I want to be a person. I want to be...just Sora." {Adopted from XionTheBlackRose}
1. World of Numbers

_Hey, all! I've finally posted __**XionTheBlackRose**__'s story on my account! The first three chapters are all her work, but the rest will be from me. Much thanks to her for letting me adopt her story! :3_

_The only things I'm changing in these three chapters are basically adopting my typical chapter format…and proofreading. That's about it. So I won't be plagiarizing; that isn't cool!_

_I'll be posting Xion's chapters in my spare time whenever I run out of ideas for my own stories, and after that I'll be working on this story in full as if it were mine. Just letting you know that **I won't be posting her chapters all at once**. That would take too much time because I need to transcribe them by hand. ^^;_

_(Incidentally, I'd appreciate it if you guys went to my page and adopted one of the ideas I have written in my profile. I still have nine left and those ideas deserve to see the light of day! At least check them out!)_

**Ch. 1: World of Numbers**

1, 2…

Everything is about numbers.

3, 4…

Numbers mean everything to our people, to the children.

5, 6…

Numbers have _replaced_ our names.

7, 8…

Numbers are our color schemes – black, white, and gray. Those are the only colors we are allowed to wear. And only on certain times, too: white for school, gray for everywhere else, black for someone's death. It doesn't even have to be anyone you know; you just do as you're told.

9, 10…

Children aren't allowed to speak to adults without being spoken to first, but that doesn't happen often since they speak a different language than us – one we won't even know how to understand until six months into our adulthood. That exception doesn't reach the P.Y.C., the police task force of our city; we're not allowed to speak to them at all.

11, 12…

But I'm different.

13, 14…

I have the gift of memory. I can remember anything and everything I have ever seen or heard, and I'm sort of a genius. I can listen to the adults talk, and within a few minutes I can fully understand their language…at the least, what they're discussing.

15, 16…

My name is "19-15-18-1".

17, 18…

Children don't get names. We get numbers.

19, 20…

My real name is "Sora".

21, 22…

I've never been more than a number, but I want to be more.

23, 24…

I want to be _someone_. _Need_ to be someone.

I want to be…just _Sora_.

* * *

"Student I.D.," the P.Y.C. officer says to me as I enter the school.

I frown, fishing around in my pocket for my identification card. I gasp softly, remembering I left it at my house.

"Student I.D.," the officer repeats, glaring down at me in disgust.

"I didn't bring it with me," I say, then I quickly regret it.

The officer grabs my arm and turns me around, pinning my arm behind me. I gasp in pain and grit my teeth as the officer speaks lowly, "You do not speak to the P.Y.C., boy."

I don't respond to him and he lets go. A teacher comes out and glances at me, then speaks to the officer: "Ec _19-15-18-1_ kaddehk uid uv meha ykyeh?"

I frown. _I was not out of line._

"Dra tysh puo ryt dra hanja du cbayg du sa ehcdayt uv crufehk sa rec Etahdevelydeuh lynt. Daylr drec puo cusa syhhanc!" the officer replies.

I stand. _He doesn't have the right to say I need manners. Oh, yeah; he does. This isn't good for me. I've slipped up. Again._

The teacher nods. "E crymm."

The officer goes back to scanning the students' I.D. cards and the teacher turns to me and glares. This teacher is my professor. In our school, thirty students are put in one teachers class for eight hours. This is Professor Saïx. I try to stay on his good side, but it isn't easy. He ushers me inside and I follow quickly. He takes me to his room, which is still empty.

I remember to stay silent this time, to keep from getting into more trouble.

"This is the third time you've caused a scene at I.D. checkout. I have to notify your father," he says.

I nod numbly. "Yes, Professor."

He moves and picks up a long, thin metal rod.

I do so, closing my eyes, stiffening, waiting for the incoming pain. A stinging, numbing sensation sprouts from my fingers all the way up to my arms. I open my eyes and stare at my shaking hands, black bruises appearing on the knuckles. Professor Saïx puts the rod back. "Do not cause a disturbance again or you will get worse than that."

I nod, still staring at my hands. "Yes, Professor."

* * *

Sitting here in Professor Saïx empty classroom after school is chilling, and then there's Professor's angry stare I am always getting. My father sits stiffly beside me and I can't bring myself to look at the either of them. I keep my gaze down at my bruised knuckles. Then my professor speaks, and he has no idea I can understand every word he is saying.

"Mauh, ouin cuh ryc lyicat drnaa tecnibdeuhc yd dra ET Lahdan. Ed ec caddehk y pyt aqysbma vun dra cditahdc' paryjeun," Saïx says.

I frown. _I hate when they use that language so we don't understand._ He proceeded to tell my father about my "disruptions" at the I.D. Center. He thinks I'm setting a bad example for the other students, but I didn't make a scene. The P.Y.C. did.

Dad answers swiftly, coming to my aid. "E ryja ryt hu bnupmasc fedr so cuh eh dra dycd. Fryd ec ed ra ec cibbucatmo tuehk du tecnibd dra ET Clyhhehk Cacceuh?"

_Ha, answer that, Professor. You'll have no choice but to tell him I haven't done anything wrong!_ I allow a small smirk to surface, but don't dare look up so it can be noticed. I'm still drowning here.

Professor didn't miss a beat, telling him that I keep forgetting my I.D. card and speaking out of turn. "_19-15-18-1_ ryc vunkuddah rec Etahdevelydeuh Lynt drnaa desac, yht ra cbuga uid uv dinh. Cbaygehk du dra B.O.L. ech'd banseddat vun sehunc."

B.O.L., P.Y.C., same thing; just a different language speaking the abbreviation. When was this going to end? My smirk fades and I sigh softly, trying again to bend my fingers. They won't budge. Damn, what if Professor broke my knuckles? I'll have to ask Dad to take a look at them, considering he's one of the city's doctors.

Dad finishes the conversation with a short and sweet, "E'mm syga cin _19-15-18-1_ tauch'd vuncad rec ET Lynt yhosuna. Dryhg oui vun ouin desa, Bnuvaccun Cyeq."

Which means "Thanks for your time; we're leaving", in short. Dad stands, and so do I. Professor Saïx stands and shakes hand with Dad, and then we leave. Once we're out of the school Dad turns to me. "Try not to forget again. I'd hate for you to get hurt."

I nod. "Sorry, Dad. I was in a hurry this morning."

He sighs. "How bad is the damage?"

I show him my hands and shrug. "I think they might be broken. I can't move them."

He inspects my hands and frowns. Then he sighs. "Not broken, just popped out of place. I can fix that once we get home. Did you do any of your work with your hands like that?"

I smile softly. "No, Kairi wrote my work for me. Professor said it was okay, anyway…"

Dad raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Who's Kairi?"

I frown. "Right, sorry. I meant _11-1-9-18-9_."

He nods. "Yeah, _11-1-9-18-9_ is a good kid. Isn't she the Mayor's daughter?"

I nod, then frown. "Yeah, but that doesn't matter. The Mayor has no authority; it's all done by the Viceroy."

* * *

_And here's the first chapter edited in all its glory! (Sweet Jesus this took forever. THAT CURSED LANGAGE. Ahem. ^^; I may have messed up somewhere in that regard, so please forgive me. __Stupid no-copy-paste function. Hmph._) Look forward to the next two, and where I'll take my story after that! Have a good day!


	2. 11-1-9-18-9

_Here's the second chapter, guys. Third chapter will be out tomorrow. Maybe._

_I apologize for any typos in advance!_

**Ch. 2: 11-1-9-18-9**

I walk through town, my hands bandaged up. I stick them in my pockets so no one notices – not that anyone would openly ask, but I'd hear them. I've been sent home from school; I'm not allowed back until Monday because of my "disruption" yesterday. Today, since I'm not in school, I'm wearing gray; the same kind of clothes we wear in school – a white long-sleeved shirt and white pants made of some soft material I don't know the name of. They almost feel like sweatpants but I know they're not, and white shoes (which have to be washed, like, every day to keep it that way).

All our clothes look like this. Well, the children's do. Adults get to wear what they want, but it still has to fit the color scheme. Like at school, adults wear white during work, gray everywhere else, and black for mourning. As I was saying, today I was wearing gray, and gray shoes to match. I'm walking through town, going to the store to get some stuff for Dad while he's working.

Just my luck, as I get to the grocery store, I'm stopped by a P.Y.C. officer. He frowns at me. "Why aren't you in school, boy?"

I wasn't sure if I should answer him or not. I look at him to let him know I'm paying attention, but I don't speak. He continues to frown at me. "Answer me, boy. What's your number?"

I started to say "Sora", knowing he meant my name, but quickly thought better of it – children don't have names. I only have one because I can understand the number system; I could figure anyone's name out from knowing their number.

"I am _19-15-18-1_, sir," I reply quietly.

He nods, as if he expected this. He might not have; most kids couldn't tell you their numbers without carrying an I.D. card with them.

"Why aren't you in school, _19-15-18-1?_" he asks.

I look away, suddenly very conscious of how others see me as a troublemaker because, surprisingly, I'm forgetful. "I kept forgetting my I.D. card to sign into school, and it caused a disruption a few times because I kept telling an officer I forgot. I've been suspended for three days, sir."

Then I frown, looking up at the officer before me. "Aren't we not supposed to speak to you?"

"_We_ as in the children?" he asks.

I nod. This is so strange, having a conversation with a P.Y.C. officer. This has never happened to me before. I didn't know what to do. This was something new, and I didn't want to stop talking. "Why aren't you arresting me or something?"

The officer nods (not sure why) and he replies, "I am observing your reasons for not being in school. The no-talking rule does not apply when observing the citizens, children or not."

Oh, yeah; the adults can't talk to them either. How could I have forgotten? Hmph, at least adults got a name – like my dad for instance, he gets to be called "Leon", and I get to be called "19-15-18-1". Even though I was jealous of their authority over us, I longed to become an adult and finally get to be just "Sora", but I don't want to wait. I nod, not really hearing what the officer was saying – maybe it was "remember my card", but I can't say, and then he lets me go inside.

Once inside I run through the list Dad gave me, slipping it from my pocket with shaking fingers, and I heard for various sections to pick up different food items. I look around, noticing a lot of labels that had "FOR ADULTS ONLY" written on them. If I'm buying them for Dad, could I still get them? Probably not; no one would believe they're not for me. I've tried before.

I sigh and look for stuff that had "CHILDREN" written on them. Going down one aisle I see Kairi near the end, holding a little shopping carrier basket. I walk up to her and smile. "Hi, Kai- _11-1-9-18-9_." I quickly correct myself, knowing that she doesn't know her "name".

She looks at me and giggles, "Wrong girl. I'm not 'Kai- _11-1-9-18-9_."

I chuckle. "Sorry, _11-1-9-18-9_."

She smiles brightly. "No problem, _19-15-18-1_."

I wanted to tell her to call me "Sora" so badly, but I knew better. So instead, I smile back. "What are you buying? Is school out already?"

I knew it wasn't, but I wanted to hear her voice some more. I swear I'm in love with this girl. She smiles back (she does that a lot; smiles) and she says, "Oh, Mom forgot some stuff she needed to make dinner, so I'm picking them up for her. And no, school's not out. I just didn't go today. Mom said she needed me to stay home today; she has things she needs me to do for her while she works. She does this sometimes – keep me home to do chores and get groceries and things like that."

"Wish my dad would do that," I chuckle.

She giggles. "A lot of people do. But both my parents are very busy, so I often stay home to do extra stuff. I study a lot, so I don't miss too much when I am kept home."

I realized that she calls it "being kept home", not "skipping" like most kids do. She's just a peculiar girl, and I really like that.

She nods and turns away from me, heading for the checkout line, and she calls over her shoulder, "See you soon, _19-15-18-1!_"

I smile and wave. _See you around, __**Kairi**__._

* * *

_Thank God this was a short one. _


	3. Riku and Axel

_The last of the transcription chapters! Finally! This is gonna be the last update in a while; just warning you! I have other stories that have higher priority than this, so…sorry._

_Well, enjoy this one in the meantime! I'll get around to working on this eventually._

**Ch. 3: Riku and Axel**

I pass the I.D. Center, bringing my I.D. card with me this time. As I was walking down the hall towards Professor Saïx's classroom, I saw three P.Y.C. officers trying to arrest a student. I don't know him, but I've seen him in the halls a few times. He isn't in my class, though. He's tall, well-built, and has silver hair that flows past his shoulders. He's struggling against the officers' holds, and he almost gets free when one of the officers stuns him.

Without even thinking, I run over to help the boy and I jump on the officer that stunned hm, knocking the officer down. One of the other officers grabs me and hauls me up. I squirm against him, trying to get out of his grip. It didn't work. The one I knocked down gets back up and stuns me. The shock almost instantly knocks me out. When I come to, I'm in a small gray room. And I'm not alone.

I turn and see the boy staring me down, his turquoise eyes boring into my soul. I stare back at him, trying not to show him his stare was making me uncomfortable. He frowns and looks away from me. I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it: "Why did you try to help me? Now you're stuck here, just like me."

"I just…" I don't really know what to say, or what to expect from this stranger, but I still had to give some kind of explanation. "I didn't want them to hurt you."

He tilts his head slightly. "Why? You don't even know me."

I shrug. "I just didn't want anyone to get hurt. What did you even do to get them to arrest you?"

He sighs. "All I did was tell them to not be so hard on this girl who forgot her I.D. card. They arrested me for interference."

I frown. "Well, that's really stupid."

" I know," he sighs again, running a hand through his hair.

He was annoyed; that much was clear, but I think I saw a hint of sadness in his sharp eyes. He suddenly turns to me. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Sora," I reply. Then I groan, realizing what I just did.

He blinks at me, and then his eyes narrow slightly. "You weren't given a number?"

I swallow, looking away. "No, I was…I just…know the code, so I know what my real name would be…"

I've never told anyone this – how smart I actually am. I look back at him when he doesn't answer, and he's staring at me. I swallow again and he finally asked, "You know the number code?"

I nod and he grins slightly. "So, what would my name be?"

I chuckle lightly. "What's your number?"

"_18-9-11-21_," he replies.

I nod, closing my eyes and calculating the letters and numbers in my head. After about a few seconds of this, I open my eyes again and smile. "Riku."

He nods. "I like that."

I smile. "Me too."

_Oh God, did I just say that?_ I quickly look away and he's staring at me again. I keep my eyes on the floor, but I can still feel his eyes staring me down.

"Thanks," he finally says. "I like your name, too. Does anyone else know you know the code?"

"Just my dad," I say, looking back at him.

He nods. "Good. I don't think you should tell anyone else. It will make things bad for you."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He frowns. "I mean, if the P.Y.C. know that you can break their code, they could use you."

"Oh…"

"Yeah."

I clear my throat. "So, I won't tell."

"Good."

I look down and sigh. "We need to get out of here."

"I know, but how?" He stands and frowns at the steel door before him.

I stand and frown, walking up to him, and we stare at the door together. I tilt my head slightly. "Hey, Riku; do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he asks, looking at me.

"Commotion," I reply.

He frowns. "You got super hearing, too? I don't hear anything."

I shake my head. "No, it's just not that loud, but I can still hear it. It's getting louder now!"

He nods. "Yeah, I can hear it now."

"What do you think it is?" I ask, pressing my head to the door, trying to hear better.

He does the same, and our eyes meet as we stare at each other. "Not sure."

I close my eyes, trying to hear better, to concentrate. I move away from the door. "It sounds like someone's trying to escape."

"We should use that distraction to make _our_ escape," Riku suggests.

I smile. "Great idea!"

He frowns. "But how?"

"Hmm." I move to the side of the door, where a lock keypad is. "Maybe I can get the door unlocked."

He shrugs. "Go for it, genius boy."

"Don't call me that," I sigh, typing numbers on the keypad.

After a few minutes of trying, the door unlocks and we both push it open.

"Hurry, let's go!" Riku says, running down the hall.

I gasp and run after him. _He's so fast!_ We get down the hall before Riku stops, and I run right into him. I fall back, landing on the floor.

I quickly get back up. "Riku, why'd you stop?"

"Oh, whoops." A tall boy with red hair grins, his green eyes glinting mischievously. "Didn't mean to knock you over."

"Are you escaping too?" the guy asks.

"Yes, and who are you?" Riku asks.

"Name's Axel. Got it memorized? Anyway, we'll talk later. Let's go!" he replies, taking off running.

Riku and I follow after him, and after about an hour we make it out of the building. We keep running until we make it to the middle of town. Axel sighs and turns to us. "So, who are you guys, and why were you arrested?"

"I'm Riku, and I just told the officers to lighten up." Riku rolls his eyes.

"I'm Sora, and I tried to keep the officers from arresting Riku. Stupid reasons. And you?" I reply.

Axel grins. "I break kids out of the P.Y.C."

* * *

_There we go, all done! Yay!_

_Later, guys! (Much later. *coughs loudly*)_

_Okay, no; forget that. I need to rant. Ugh, I had to try SO HARD to keep from varying the sentence structure and adding detail. So bare! DX Sorry, Xion, if you're reading this. Just thought you should know that you should work on the whole "lack of detail and robot-like repetition" thing in your other stories. Also commas. C-O-M-M-A-S._

_I don't mean to be harsh, but please…work on that. I almost went brain-dead transcribing this from how…not-engaging this chapter was. Can't believe I missed this before._

_Anyway, uh…there we go. My additions will come much later._


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